USB audio interface for guitar recording/effects

[Muges]

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about buying a usb audio interface (compatible with linux of course), and I'm looking for some advice. I am already quite experienced with Linux (currently using Arch), and have used jack before, but I have only played guitar for less than two year. You can assume that I don't know anything about hardware.

I mainly want to use it to record myself while practicing.

I'd also want to be able to use it to experiment with real-time guitar effects (the input of the interface being plugged to my guitar, and its output to my amp), like this.

So for this I would need one input port and one output port, preferably 6.35mm (1/4") jacks, but I guess anything (XLR, ...) could work as long as I have the correct cables (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I'm looking for something quite cheap (anything above 100 €/$/£ is probably too expensive, but if you feel like I should invest more money into it don't hesitate to say it). I don't intend to use it live or to do actual recording.

Thanks in advance.

[tavasti]

I have Alesis IO2, works with linux, and sound is ok. I started plugging my guitar to it, and used guitarix. Now I have Digitech multieffect for sounds, and IO2 used for recording only.

[ssj71]

I have a cheap chinese guitar link that has been fine. Only has headphone out but it was under $10.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Guitar-Inte ... uitar+link
By the reviews I'd say your results may vary, maybe I just got lucky.

[Muges]

I have a cheap chinese guitar link that has been fine. Only has headphone out but it was under $10.
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Guitar-Inte ... uitar+link
By the reviews I'd say your results may vary, maybe I just got lucky.

I would rather invest in something that I will be able to use for a few years, so I probably won't buy this. But I did say I wanted something cheap and this interface seems to meets my requirements, so thank you .

I have Alesis IO2, works with linux, and sound is ok. I started plugging my guitar to it, and used guitarix. Now I have Digitech multieffect for sounds, and IO2 used for recording only.

I was hoping to find something a little bit cheaper, and I won't need the two mic inputs. But the fact that it has a midi input is definitely a plus, since it could allow me to use a midi foot controller later on. I will try to search a little bit more, but I will probably end up buying the Alesis IO2. Thank you!

[tavasti]

I have Alesis IO2, works with linux, and sound is ok. I started plugging my guitar to it, and used guitarix. Now I have Digitech multieffect for sounds, and IO2 used for recording only.

I was hoping to find something a little bit cheaper, and I won't need the two mic inputs. But the fact that it has a midi input is definitely a plus, since it could allow me to use a midi foot controller later on. I will try to search a little bit more, but I will probably end up buying the Alesis IO2. Thank you!

Io2 has two separate channels, both can be mic/instrument/line.

I think it's good to have mic input also, you'll never know when you want to record singing, or accustical guitar, beat done by canjo/real drums/hand claps etc.

I got my interface second hand. If I would be getting something new, I would take some cheapish usb mixer: more inputs giving flexibility. At least I ended getting separate mixer, to get multiple signal paths mixed together.

Something like this would be my starter: http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_xeny ... r_281982_1

[kbongosmusic]

I have a Digitech RP350 effects unit I bought used. It really is a nice unit and can do a lot of nice things. It can act as a usb sound card, although limited to usb1.1 sorta stuff(16bit probably). I tried usb recording from it once, so never used it much, but I recall it working. And I believe you can maybe hook up a mike to it(although maybe it doesn't have phantom power). I typically run it thru my Behringer mixer, then into my 24bit delta PCI card. The effects are nice, and someone(on this list) made a GUI program gdigi to setup the effects in it talking via midi excl. msgs(thks!).

@tavasti that Behringer you pointed to, is like the one I have but mine is older unit without usb/compression. But beware I doubt if this less expensive model supports 24bit usb2 compliant recordings from the USB port. I know they have mixers with better USB capability, but they are a more costly unit. I want to pickup a Focusrite i2i or Presonus interface someday soon, the portability would be nice and my PCI computers aren't getting any younger.

I have a Behringer UCA202 16-bit usb sound interface I've used along with the mixer from a laptop. That's a inexpensive old little USB adapter(just some RCA style stereo in/out plugs, maybe headphone). But it did a nice job and gave some good clean recordings compared to say your typical built in laptop sound.

[tavasti]

@tavasti that Behringer you pointed to, is like the one I have but mine is older unit without usb/compression. But beware I doubt if this less expensive model supports 24bit usb2 compliant recordings from the USB port.

Sure, might not be 24 bit, but for low budget gear, can you expect those extra bits after 16 be something else than noise? Or for low budget hobbyist, is that 16 bit ok?

Ok, but if we forget mixers, nearly cheapest interfaces have 24 bit:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_u_phoria_um2.htm
http://www.thomann.de/gb/alesis_core_1.htm

[kbongosmusic]

Hi @tavasti, yes, 16bit is fine, it's CD quality eh. What Digitech unit do you have?
@Muges, consider a used Digitech RP350, RP500 or RP1000. I picked my RP350 up locally used for about $40, which was a deal.
I did just test it on a recently upgraded laptop running Debian Testing. It worked straight away plugging it in via USB from Audacity as a stock 16 bit stereo 2 channel in/out for recording. So you would be able to use it stand alone or route it thru the computer. Best of both worlds. And the processing it provides is nice, it's obviously aimed at guitar input.

[tavasti]

Hi @tavasti, yes, 16bit is fine, it's CD quality eh. What Digitech unit do you have?

RP50 and RP255. RP255 has also usb interface, but I get cracks with recording from it. Might be resolvable with tuning, like replacing alsa_in with zita-a2j. Example of sound in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmVfemNNUZ8

[kbongosmusic]

Hi @tavasti, The RP255 you have looks to be same as my RP350 less a few features like extra main foot button and XLR output jacks on back, maybe a few edit knobs. I would expect it to run same as mine. We will have to compare notes on this(like lsusb info), and what kernel/modules are used with it, as last night it seemed to work great with no tinkering involved. I will record a half decent sound test and post it somewhere. I've got an older RP50 in a box somewhere too. Have you tried the gdigi program on it? If not, try it out, works great and you can customize your effects and save it to the box.

[tavasti]

Hi @tavasti, The RP255 you have looks to be same as my RP350 less a few features like extra main foot button and XLR output jacks on back, maybe a few edit knobs. I would expect it to run same as mine.

It's possible, that mine is somehow broken (got it second hand). Tried to upgrade it's firmware, but digitech fw upgrader does not find that, at least when running in virtual machine. However, it's possible that it is doing something strange (like change of usb identity), and therefore it is loosing usb connection.

We will have to compare notes on this(like lsusb info), and what kernel/modules are used with it, as last night it seemed to work great with no tinkering involved. I will record a half decent sound test and post it somewhere. I've got an older RP50 in a box somewhere too. Have you tried the gdigi program on it? If not, try it out, works great and you can customize your effects and save it to the box.

Hey, I have to try that one!